


Two Worlds

by SassyEverlarking



Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types, Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-19
Updated: 2015-05-23
Packaged: 2018-03-18 16:12:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,701
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3575694
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SassyEverlarking/pseuds/SassyEverlarking
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It was just supposed to be a one night thing. Seven years and one little girl later, Katniss and Peeta have to learn how to coexist from two very different worlds.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This started as a drabble on Tumblr, with the prompt: one night stand and falling pregnant au. I'm now expanding it into a WIP.

She’d known from the moment she’d met him that he was somebody important. There was a certain air about him, something that spoke of money and power and a ‘proper’ upbringing. The very opposite kind of world she’d known her entire life. Still, there had been something so enticing about the too-chill blond guy with the brilliant blue gaze. Like some force drawing her to him.

So even as her friends had wandered off to enjoy the other amusements the party had to offer, Katniss had stayed at the man’s side. ‘No names’ he’d urged desperately, hand firmly gripping a red solo cup filled with god knew what. ‘Not real ones, at least.’ So she’d told him to call her the first name that popped into her head. He’d laughed and followed suit, feigning a roguish suaveness as he’d introduce himself as her namesake’s counterpart.

A night of adventuring wildly around the city had followed. She’d taken him to all the most exciting, and often seediest, places she could think of when he’d admitted he was just hoping to forget life for  _one damn night_. When they’d exhausted all of her hole-in-the-walls and dives, and themselves in the process, she’d brought him back to her apartment. Then they proceeded to exhaust themselves even further. 

The next morning, she’d woken slightly hungover and thoroughly fucked. But she realized she hadn’t regretted a moment of it. Not when he’d awoken beside her like he’d just lived the best night of his life. They’d shared breakfast at a cafe a block from her apartment, still sticking astutely to the names they’d used the night before. 

He’d kissed her softly on the cheek as he’d made his leave, whispering a tender ‘thank you’ in her ear. She’d watched him go, a small twinge of regret flaring in her chest because she’d known from the moment they’d ‘said go’, she’d been nothing more than an escape. A glimpse into a world he was far too privileged to be a part of. A one time thing.

Six weeks later, the remaining regret had finally come crashing down on her in nauseating waves as she’d stared at a positive pregnancy test.

——-

"Aurora, look at me please." Katniss tugged on her daughter’s hand, trying desperately to get the six-year-old’s attention. It was a difficult task with the little girl so completely enraptured by her surroundings. Not that she blamed the child. This was the fanciest place she’d ever been to as well. 

"The whole room sparkles, mama!" Aurora sighed dreamily, her blue eyes bright and wide as she looked back to her mother. "It’s like a fairy tale!"

Katniss smiled at her daughter’s wonderment. “It is!” She breathed, brushing a thumb against Aurora’s cheek. “Which is why you need to pay attention to what I say and not get in anybody’s way tonight.” She scrunched up her face disgustingly. “Because there’s an  _evil_  stepmother running all around this place and if she catches you doing something bad, she’ll get really angry.”

Aurora’s eyes got wider, this time with worry. “Will she turn me into a mouse?” She whispered nervously.

"Maybe." Katniss hoisted her up and settled her against her side, carrying her out of the main ballroom and into the server’s area where the rest of the wait staff was milling about. "I don’t know what her powers are exactly, but I  _do_  know she made Uncle Haymitch cry!”

The girl gasped in shock. 

"So you’ll be on your best behavior tonight, right?" Katniss gave her an expectant look as she set her on her feet by an empty row of chairs in the corner. "You’ll stay right here and color in your coloring books and not go off on adventures like you like to do, right?"

Nodding vigorously, Aurora let her mother ease her arms out of her backpack and climbed up onto a chair. “Right!” She chirped, holding out her hands. Katniss sighed reluctantly, unzipping the tiny bag and pulling out one of the aforementioned coloring books and the Crayola Big Box she’d packed away. She placed them into waiting, wiggling fingers.

"I mean it, Aurora." She set the backpack down in front of the chair. "You stay here. If you need anything, you wait until you see me or Auntie Jo-Jo, okay?"

"Yeah, yeah!" Aurora mumbled, already intently focused on which color of pink was just right for the Pinkie Pie picture she’d opened up to.

With another sigh, Katniss hesitantly stepped away from her little girl. She moved over to the table not too far away where the earpieces for the wait staff were placed. She picked one up, focusing her attention on turning it on and getting it situated in her ear.

"Haymitch isn’t gonna like this…" Johanna Mason muttered as she sidled up next to Katniss. 

Katniss glanced up at her, still fiddling with the earpiece. Her roommate’s eyes were focused on Aurora and Katniss turned to look that way as well.

"It’s not my fault he put you on this event last minute," She hissed and glanced back at Johanna. "I couldn’t find a damn babysitter on such short notice." 

Shrugging, Johanna slowly began backing away from the table. “I know the details, brainless.” She pointed at Katniss. “Doesn’t mean this isn’t gonna turn into a huge shitstorm.”

Looking over to her daughter again, Katniss pulled in a deep breath. “God, I hope it doesn’t.”

——-

It had been a futile hope, Katniss realized with dread when she came back into the server’s room to exchange her empty tray of hors-d’oeuvres for a full one and found the corner empty of one six-year-old. Panic immediately set her heart racing. She threw the empty tray down onto a table, yanked the earpiece from her ear, and rushed over to where she’d told Aurora to stay.

"Rora!" She whispered desperately, throwing herself to the ground so she could peer under the chairs and tables nearby. "Rora, please come out…"

When she saw nothing but gaudy carpet and a few crayons that had slipped from the Big Box, she let out a quiet growl of frustration. Katniss pushed herself to her feet and began to turn in a circle slowly, trying to take in every portion of the room as she went.

"Please be in this damn room." She muttered to herself, hoping for a glimpse of a tiny brunette-haired head or a wisp of her daughter’s frilly purple dress. When she came up empty, she groaned and gave into a tiny, petulant foot stomp. "Dammit, Aurora…"

Katniss moved hastily back into the ballroom, skirting along the outer edge as she scanned the crowd. It was a dizzying sea of tuxedos and designer gowns, waiters, trays, and champagne glasses. But no wayward six-year-old too curious for her own good. That was, until Katniss caught sight of tiny hand sneaking up to swipe at the beautifully decorated cake set up on a table against the far wall. 

Katniss took off as fast as she felt she could get away with without looking too obvious, making a beeline for the cake and her daughter. She arrived just in time to see the little girl grasp at a beautiful lily made of frosting.

"Aurora!" She whispered harshly, taking her daughter’s hand in her own and dragging her away from the table. "What did I tell you?!"

Aurora looked at her with a mix of shock and guilt. “Mama!” She gasped, allowing Katniss to continue to pull her along, back towards the server’s room. “I was bored and hungry and I couldn’t find you or Auntie Jo-Jo and I saw the cake and it looked so pretty…”

"I don’t care how pretty it looked!" Katniss snapped quietly. They passed out of the ballroom and into the server’s room. She brought Aurora back over to the corner she’d first placed her in and she turned sharply on the little girl. "I told you to stay here," She pointed to the floor and glared sternly into watery blue eyes. "Right here, and you didn’t listen. You  _told_  me you’d stay.”

Aurora’s face screwed up in anguish and she looked to the ground. “I’m sorry, mama…” She whispered dejectedly.

Katniss’ anger dissipated instantly. She gathered the child into her arms, lifting her up so she could hold her tightly. Aurora wove her arms around her mother’s neck, letting out a sob. 

"It’s okay, cupcake." Katniss soothed, regret seeming to engulf her.She turned away from the bustling room of waiters, some of whom where giving her reproachful looks. "I was just scared somebody would see you." She brushed a hand over her little girl’s hair. "If the wrong person had caught you-"

"There she is!" A voice screeched from across the room and Katniss whirled around. She took an instinctive step back, clutching her daughter tightly. A fierce looking woman in an evening gown was practically dragging Haymitch Abernathy in her direction. She felt the dread beginning to turn her stomach hard.

"And she’s got the grubby little urchin with her too!"

Katniss bristled at the woman’s words, the dread turning to rage. “Excuse me?” She seethed.

"Don’t you dare backtalk to me, you little brat." The woman snapped, holding up a finger as if to silence Katniss from saying more. She turned her icy stare on Haymitch, who was scowling at Katniss. "I don’t know what kind of show you’re running here, Mr. Abernathy, but if you let an unauthorized child run unaccompanied around private parties-"

"Unauthorized child?!" Katniss snapped, taking a step forward.

Haymitch threw up his hand, halting her. “Don’t say another damn word, girl.” He muttered before returning his attention to the fierce-looking woman.

"I want her fired." The woman barked out, giving Haymitch a no-nonsense stare. "I want her fired, right here, right now, or you and your entire staff don’t get paid."

Katniss opened her mouth to say something, but Haymitch pointed at her without bothering to look at her. Like he’d expected her to try. “I don’t think we need to be that hasty…” He used his most convincing voice, the one he reserved for when he schmoozed the most elite clients.

"This is non-negotiable, Mr. Abernathy!" The woman’s voice carried loudly across the room. "Fire her!"

"Mother?" Another voice drifted cautiously from where the ballroom entrance was and Katniss suddenly felt as if she’d turned to stone. It had been a long time since she’d heard that voice, so long it felt like more of a daydream than a reality. But she’d recognize it anywhere. It was a night of adventure and no strings attached. "Is everything okay in here?"

Katniss shrank back towards the wall, her grip on Aurora tightening. She let out a shaky breath as she watched a head of blonde hair bob and weave through the crowd that had gathered to watch the spectacle. She felt sick. She felt stuck. Like a mouse trapped by a whole bunch of cats.

"Peeta, go back to the party." The woman sighed, glancing behind her. "I’m just dealing with a staffing issue."

"Well, your staffing issue is carrying out into the ballroom," Suddenly he came into view and Katniss wanted to sink into the ground. His hair was pushed back, not unruly like it’d been that night almost seven years prior. He was in a tuxedo instead of well-worn jeans and a button down. He carried himself more rigidly, like there was a fierce confidence that hadn’t been there the one night they’d had together. But it was him. Definitely him. "Let’s see if we can’t work out-"

That brilliant blue-eyed gaze finally landed on her and he stopped dead in his tracks. Like he was seeing a ghost. Katniss felt much the same way.

"Leia?" He breathed in shocked, his eyes searching hers frantically. She almost choked out a sobbing laugh at the name she’d given him that night. The stupid, stupid name.

Aurora, who had been hiding against her mother throughout the entire ordeal, picked her head up off Katniss’ shoulder. She looked out towards Peeta, her eyes wide.

"That’s the Star Wars princess!" She gasped in delight.

Peeta’s gaze snapped to Aurora’s face as if he was noticing her suddenly. They lingered there, and Katniss watched as understanding slowly dawned upon her Han Solo.


	2. Chapter 2

Katniss accepted the glass of wine Madge handed her with a grateful smile. She raised the glass to her lips, taking a deep drink of the tart liquid, as her friend reclaimed her spot on the opposite end of the couch.

“He realized Aurora was his?” Madge asked, picking up the conversation she’d put on pause when she’d went to get the wine. Her blue eyes were wide and anxious as they focused intently on Katniss. “Just like that?”

“Just like that.” Katniss repeated. She lowered the glass to her thigh and let out a shaky breath. “I didn’t know what to do. I felt so trapped and guilty as I watched the shock and understanding freeze him in place.” It had been a couple days since the incident and she was still feeling shaken up by it.

Madge took a hasty sip from her own glass and nodded. “Oh, I bet. You never expect the long lost father of your child, who you never expected to see again, to show up at a party like _that_!” She leaned forward and deposited her glass on the coffee table. Her hand started waving in an urgent ‘continue’ gesture as she sat back against the couch cushions. “So…”

“So…”

_Before Katniss had a chance to consider her options, Haymitch was shoving Aurora’s things into her backpack and pulling the pair from the room at a rapid pace. Aurora squeaked and tucked her face back against her mother’s neck when commotion erupted at their departure. Katniss looked back over her shoulder to try and see what was happening. But Haymitch was pulling her along too quickly._

_“You need to go home, right now.” He whispered harshly when they’d made it out of the ballroom and into the grand hallway. He turned on her and shoved the backpack into her free hand._

_“But Haymitch-”_

_“No ‘but Haymitch’. I might have been able to salvage this evening before, but now your sudden baby daddy drama just blew the ass out of that.” He looked angry. Angrier than she’d ever seen him before. “You probably just cost a lot of people their paychecks.”_

_Tears welled in Katniss’ eyes and she pressed a hand against the back of Aurora’s head. “I didn’t mean… I… I… didn’t know…” She could feel the panic start to seize her chest. Whether it was because of costing her coworkers their money or because of the bewildered man a few rooms over who’d just found out he was a father, she wasn’t sure. Either way she was sure she was out of a job and the mere thought of it made her want to curl up in a ball and cry._

_“Hey, hey,” Haymitch stepped closer and placed a gentle hand on her cheek. The irate look on his face relaxed into something slightly more soothing. “Stop it. Don’t do that. I know you didn’t do this on purpose, okay?” He watched her intently until she nodded and took a shaky breath to calm her nerves. “But you need to go home. I can’t fix this with you here. Not now.”_

_Katniss closed her eyes and took another breath. This time it did a bit more to help her feel less unsettled. “Okay.” She let out on an unsteady whisper, opening her eyes and nodding again._

_Haymitch smiled softly and patted her cheek lightly. Without another word, he moved away from her and back towards the ballroom. His hardened demeanor fell back into place as he went, speaking quickly into the microphone on his ear piece._

_“Haymitch?” Katniss called out and he paused to turn and glance at her. “Am I fired?”_

_“I don’t know.” He answered matter of factly._

_Blinking back tears, Katniss nodded and dropped her gaze to the floor. She took a few more deep breaths to calm herself. She figured Haymitch would be gone when she raised her attention from the polished marble at her feet. He was. But in his place was standing her Han Solo, blue eyes almost wild as they stared at her._

_The calm she’d so fragilely built up crumbled instantly. She tightened her hold on her daughter, once again at a loss over what she should do. Katniss opened her mouth to speak, to try and say something, only to have her pitiful words die on her tongue as he rushed forward and thrust out a piece of paper._

_“Take this.” His tone was urgent, his eyes flicking between hers and the back of Aurora’s head. “It’s my number. So we can talk”_

_Katniss took it hesitantly. “Okay. I guess we need to-”_

_“Not here. Not now. I have to get back in there or my mother will burn the place down.” His lips quirked up briefly in a smile before his look sobered again. “But I couldn’t let you go again without that.” He touched her hand holding the paper hesitantly and Katniss inhaled sharply through her nose at the contact._

_“Please call, Leia?” He whispered._

_“I will.” She whispered back. He nodded in acceptance and took a step away from her. She reached out for him quickly and then thought better of it and pulled her hand back. He raised his eyebrows in surprise. “And it’s Katniss, by the way.”_

_The smile flashed across his face again. “I’m Peeta.”_

“Peeta? His name is Peeta?”

Katniss stopped her retelling to glare at Madge’s boyfriend, Gale. He had joined them in the living room midway through her story and was now giving her an incredulous look from his spot on the floor in front of the couch as he sipped at some obscure beer.

“What’s wrong with Peeta?” She asked, feeling strangely defensive over a man she hardly knew. Of course he was the father of her child, so that likely had something to do with it.

Gale shrugged and dangled his beer over his propped up knee. “Makes him sound like some yuppy rich boy, is all. Which, you know, he clearly is.” He made a face and effected a mocking tone. “Peeeeeta. Just sounds snobbish. As least Han has some backbone to it.”

Madge flicked him in the back of the ear. She ignored his yelp of protest and turned a reassuring smile towards Katniss. “Don’t listen to this douchey hipster,” She again ignored Gale as he made a noise of disapproval at her descriptor for him. “Peeta is a very nice-” Her eyes widen and she straightened abruptly. “Oh my god!”

“What?” Both Katniss and Gale questioned at the same time.

“Oh my god, oh my god,” Madge scrambled off the couch and over Gale.

“Hey!” He shouted, barely managing to move his beer out of the way of her flailing limbs. He shared a bewildered look with Katniss. “What the hell just happened?” He asked, pushing himself up onto the couch. They could hear Madge continuing her ‘oh my god’ing from the other room.

Katniss shrugged. “She’s your girlfriend.”

Gale rested back against the cushions and snorted. “Yeah, my crazy, easily excitable girlfriend.” He raised his bottle to his lips. He’d just taken a hearty gulp when Madge practically came crashing back into the room, her iPad in hand, and threw herself into his lap. He choked on the beer sliding down his throat.

This, too, Madge ignored. “Peeta. I knew that name sounded familiar!” She tapped at her iPad screen a couple of times and then shoved the device at Katniss.

Frowning, Katniss took it in her free hand and eyed the screen curiously. She read the title of the article Madge had bookmarked from one of the gossip websites she frequented. She was sure she could feel the color drain from her face when she focused in on the picture underneath.

“Peeta _Mellark_ ,” Madge gasped excitedly. “As in the youngest heir to the Mellark family. The richest family in the entire city.”

Katniss didn’t know if she wanted to scream or throw up. She’d known the moment she’d met him that he was somebody important.  But not like _this_. This was… this was…

“Oh my god,” She practically sobbed. She dropped the hand holding the iPad to the couch. Raising her glass to her lips, she chugged the remaining wine, squeezing her eyes shut as Gale wheezed out something about her sure knowing how to pick them.

\-----

She chewed on one of her fingernails, staring blearily at the crumpled paper in her other hand. It had been on her mind all night, the seven numbers scrawled hastily across the tiny scrap of paper. All through the three bottles of wine her and Madge had easily put away following the second biggest revelation of Katniss’ life. All during her drunken cab ride back to her less than stellar apartment. Especially when she’d whispered goodnight to her sleeping daughter, tucked into bed with Johanna, taking an extra five minutes to simply stare at the wonderful thing she’d brought into this world. Who was no longer just for her.

Now showered and sitting on the couch with her legs tucked under her, Katniss couldn’t see any plausible reason to put off the inevitable any longer. She’d kept this information from him, albeit unintentionally, for nearly seven years. It was cruel to do it any longer. Especially when he’d specifically asked her to call him. Practically begged, even.

Letting out a sigh, Katniss stopped chewing on her nail and reached for her phone. She had to do it now, before she chickened out. She’d hate to make herself feel even more guilty if she did and never called and then he tracked her down anyway. She wasn’t hiding behind the anonymity of ‘Leia’ anymore.

Unlocking her phone, she pulled up the keypad. Pulling in a deep breath, she tapped out the number and held her finger over the call button. Squeezing her eyes shut, she pressed it and raised the device up to her ear. She chewed on her bottom lip as it rang, partially hoping that nothing would happen. That maybe he wouldn’t answer, and then had no voicemail. That would be ideal.

“Peeta Mellark,” A rough voice mumbled over the line suddenly and Katniss jumped.

“Oh, uh... Hi?” She replied nervously, silently cursing herself for sounding like an absolute imbecile.

There was the sound of rustling through the phone, followed by a heavy sigh. “Did Rye give you this number?” He sounded weird. And agitated. Definitely agitated.

“No, Peeta did? I mean...you did.” She said worriedly. “Assuming you’re Peeta, of course. If you’re not, it’s really weird that you answer the phone with his name and then really awkward for me because I’m calling to talk to Peeta-” She was rambling. But she was slightly terrified and more than slightly inebriated.

“I am Peeta.” He cut her off sharply and loudly.

Katniss let out a relieved sigh. “Oh good!”

“And you are?” Peeta questioned.

She swallowed and closed her eyes. “Katniss…” She waited for him to say something, but only silence followed. A sinking feeling started to grow in her stomach. “You know? From the other night? And...well...another night a long-”

“I know who you are, Katniss.” His voice was softer now.

“Oh.” She shrank down a bit, the sudden onslaught of regret over calling him easing slightly. “You didn’t say anything…”

The sound of rustling came again. “I wasn’t expecting you to call-”

“You told me to call.” Katniss rushed out, sitting up straighter again. “And I said I would. And I know it’s only been a couple of days. Which probably isn’t enough, or is too many, I don’t know. But I said I would call, so here I am calling. Because you said-”

“Katniss, are you drunk?”

She blinked at his sudden, yet perceptive, question.

“Why?” She asked, her voice some strange mix between innocent and suspicious.

Peeta chuckled. “Well, your words are slurring together a little, for starters.” Katniss slapped a hand over her mouth and mumbled out a curse. A second laugh filtered through the phone, light and quiet. “Also, it’s 3:30 in the morning.”

Grey eyes going wide, Katniss pulled the phone away from her ear to glance at the time on the screen. Sure enough, 3:34 shown back at her from the top. She winced and tucked the phone back against her ear.

“I am so sorry!” She muttered, covering her eyes with her hand. She didn’t just sound like an imbecile (a drunken imbecile, apparently). She actually _was_ one. “I didn’t realize what time it was.”

“I kinda figured.” He didn’t sound agitated anymore and Katniss belatedly realized that the weirdness to his voice was likely brought on from having been asleep before she so rudely woke him up. “And it’s okay. For this call, you could have called at any time and I probably wouldn’t have been ready.”

Katniss teared up as an entirely different guilt resurfaced within her. “I’m not really ready either.”

“You still called.” Peeta replied softly, his voice thick. She wondered if he was feeling just as emotional as she was.

“I did.” She shrugged to her empty living room and picked at an errant strand in her ratty sleep pants. “I had to.”

“You really didn’t.” Peeta said knowingly and Katniss’ heart constricted at the slight tone of hurt she’d caught in his words. There was a long pause. Then Peeta sighed, sounding frustrated. “Look, I don’t think we should be having this conversation over the phone like this.”

Katniss nodded. “You’re right. I’m sorry.”

“No, don’t apologize. It’s fine.” Peeta reassured her. “How about I call you in the morning and we can make plans to meet up and talk properly?”

“Yeah, that’d be good.” Katniss nodded again, closing her eyes.

“Okay.” Peeta sounded hopeful. “You should probably go drink a glass of water or something. You know, for hangover prevention.”

Sliding down on the couch, Katniss couldn’t help from smiling. “You seem very full of good ideas.” She yawned, stretching out as she laid down. Her mind wandered back to the one night she’d spent with him and how he’d seemed very full of good ideas back then too.

“Goodnight, Katniss.”

She yawned a second time, turning onto her side. “Goodnight, Han.” She moved to toss the phone on the floor but him calling out her name quickly happened to catch her attention before she could. She lifted the device back to her ear. “Yeah?”

“What’s her name?” Peeta asked hesitantly. Like he’d been dying to know the answer for two days. He probably had, Katniss realized.

She bit her lip and the tears slipped past her closed eyelids. “Aurora.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry for the delay on updating. I was hit with a severe case of writer's block that I have only just begun to shake. Hopefully it stays away so I can keep at this story and can update it on a more regular basis.

Peeta stopped twirling his phone on the table in front him, hitting the home button to check the time on the screen. He sighed when he saw it was only two minutes later than the last time he’d checked. He was sure he was going to drive himself mad sitting here, waiting. Rye had told him showing up too early probably wasn’t the wisest idea. But Peeta didn’t know what else he was supposed to do while waiting to meet the mother of his child.

He furrowed his brow, the thought still throwing him. He had a child. A little girl. With a woman he’d only ever spent one night with. The woman he’d been dreaming about for nearly seven years. How many times had he almost turned back around that morning he’d left her sitting at the cafe? He’d known, with every step he took, that he was doing something wrong. Leaving her without so much as a name - a real one. Like he actually was as cool and suave as Han Solo. In reality, he’d just been terrified. Seven years later, and not much had changed.

The bell over the entrance chimed and Peeta snapped his head up to take in the newcomer. He sighed and sank down in his chair when it turned out to be yet another college student. The place was bustling with them, much like it had been when he’d attended Panem State. It was the large, inconspicuous crowd that had appealed to him when he’d been thinking of a place to meet Katniss. It was easy to blend in here. Harder for the paparazzi to find him. It also helped that the usual lot that frequented this particular coffee shop weren’t too keen on celebrity gossip. Here, he was just another guy in a beanie and sunglasses.

The chime of the bell came again. Peeta looked up slowly and his eyes went wide. It was her. The woman of his dreams. The one night fantasy that had been haunting him for far too long. She stood in the shop’s doorway, silhouetted by the late morning sunshine streaming in behind her. Her eyes swept the room around her and Peeta held up his hand as they finally landed on him. He flashed her a quick smile and she smiled back awkwardly in return.

Peeta rose to his feet as she slowly approached the table. She looked so much more like he’d remembered her, more than she had the night of the banquet. Gone was her waitress’ uniform, replaced by an oversized sweater and tights. And her hair was loose from the tight braid, cascading in messy waves around her sunglasses-adorned face.

“Katniss…” His voice cracked and he cleared his throat. “Hi. You’re here.”

She nodded and fiddled with the bag strap slung across her chest. “Yeah…” Her attention dropped to the table, taking in the collection of empty cups already sitting there. “Am I late?” She asked in a guilty tone. “I thought we said noon?”

“Oh no, we did!” Peeta leaned down and started stacking the cups hastily, the dishware clinking together harshly. “I’ve been here a while. I really didn’t know what to do, so I just sorta...showed up.” He glanced up to find her giving him a surprised look as she pushed her sunglasses up into her hair. “That’s weird, isn’t it?”

Katniss shook her head quickly. “No, not weird.” She lowered herself into the chair across from Peeta’s as he reclaimed his own seat, pushing the used cups to the edge of the table. “I’m just surprised you have time to spare.” He frowned slightly and she shrugged. “Considering who you are...”

Peeta let out an ‘ah’ of understanding and nodded slowly. “Right.” He looked at the small stack of cups, reaching out to tap distractedly at the edge of one. “It’s actually quite easy to clear one’s schedule when it consists of nothing more than vapid photoshoots and pointless appearances.” He grimaced and tilted his head to the side a fraction. “Or I guess it’s not easy, but when you’re loaded like my family is, everybody is very willing to cave with the right amount of pressure. Or money. Or endorsement. Or-"

Peeta returned his attention to her and found her giving him an uncomfortable sort of look. He snapped his mouth shut, dropping his gaze back to the table and scraping his fingers through his hair. Shit. This beautiful woman he’d spent more than half a decade dreaming about was sitting right across from him and he was practically flaunting his lifestyle.

“God, that sounded really shitty,” He laughed in self-disgust. “I am so sorry. I don’t normally come off...I mean, I don’t flaunt…” He shook his head and looked up at her helplessly. “I’m just really...” He waved his hand as if it could say what he was feeling for him.

“Nervous.” Katniss finished, the uncomfortable frown on her lips diminishing some.

“Yeah.” Peeta let out on a gush of air, like he’d been holding it in for the past few hours. He wanted to smack himself in the forehead. Two minutes with her and he was already flustered. It made him seriously doubt he could make it through the heavy discussion they were about to embark on.

Katniss nodded and this time, when she offered him a small smile, it seemed much more genuine. “Me too.” Her voice was soft, an underlying hint of terror to it. Peeta found the sound of it oddly comforting. He also found the slight blush that crept over her cheeks at her admission to be extremely adorable. It helped him to remember the way they’d connected so easily that fateful night. How he wasn’t the only one now dealing with a life-changing revelation.

He pulled in a deep breath, letting the weird feeling of comfort wash over him. Across the table, he could see Katniss relaxing a little as well. They stared at each other intently.

“I’m gonna get some more tea,” He finally said, pushing back his chair and standing. He placed his palms flat on the table, giving her a meaningful look. “Would you like some?”

A determined looked settled across Katniss’ face. “Tea would be good.” She answered with nod.

\-----

“Can I ask you something?” Peeta lowered the cup from his lips, letting it hover in his grasp over the table top. He was resting with his elbows perched, trying to keep the space between him and Katniss close but casual. He didn’t want to seem too forward, even when spending time with her was reigniting something he’d left dormant for a long time.

Katniss smirked. “Haven’t you already been doing that?” She quipped. Her fingers continued to pick at a napkin she’d been fraying for the past several minutes. He couldn’t tell for sure, but Peeta liked to think that she was having the same kind of reinvigorated feelings as he was.

Laughing airly, Peeta nodded in acquiescence. It was true. They’d been talking for quite some time already. From the moment he’d returned with their first shared cups of tea,  they’d been quietly discussing what had brought them to this cafe in the first place. He’d asked her as many unintrusive questions about his daughter as he could. And she’d been so open, like she’d been ready to tell him for years. It was a wonder they’d felt so nervous, really, with how easily they’d been talking for what felt like hours. But there was one thing he hadn’t asked. And now that he’d felt he’d exhaust all of the safe questions, he couldn’t shake this one from his mind.

“When you came in here,” Peeta put down his cup and then mirrored her crossed arms on the tabletop. His attention was on the table’s shiny surface, staring unseeingly at the cracked tile patterning. “You said you were surprised I was here so early, considering who I am, which means you know who I am...” His blue eyes looked up slowly, finding hers. She watched him with renewed nervousness. “If you knew who I was, why didn’t you…” He let the rest trail off, knowing she’d easily fill in the blanks.

Katniss swallowed and shook her head. “I didn’t.” When Peeta frowned, she dropped her gaze quickly. “Know who you were.”

Peeta’s frown deepened. “But you said-”

“Celebrity gossip’s never been my thing.” Katniss blurted quickly. Her eyes found his again. This time the look in them was a mix of desperation and guilt. “I’ve never really been the type to pay attention to that kind of thing, and even less so since Aurora was born. When you’ve got diapers to change, which privileged trust fund baby is shacking up with which heiress is not a priority.”

Her eyes went wide as her nervous rambling caught up with her. Peeta raised his eyebrows and smirked, finding this flustered side that came to her so easily endearing. He was finding so much about her endearing and his heart ached at the missed opportunity of the years past and the possible hope that maybe, _maybe_...

Katniss frowned and let out a frustrated huff. She looked to the table briefly, as if regrouping her thoughts in her head, and then straightened. There was still a nervous look in her eyes, but there was also a sense of determination. So much about her was a whirlwind of contradiction. It intrigued him.

“A couple days after the banquet, I was telling my friends about what happened,” She smiled and rolled her eyes. “My friend Madge is the _opposite_ of me when it comes to celebrity gossip. She practically thrives on it. So when I said your name was Peeta…”

Peeta closed his eyes. “That’s when you found out.”

He opened his eyes back up when he heard her rummaging through her bag. He watched her pull a rumpled piece of paper from it, which she turned and handed to him hesitantly. Taking the paper, Peeta glance at the creased picture on it. It was him, from some gala he’d attended a few weeks back that, with his date of the night hanging off his arm. He sat back in his chair, still staring at the paper, an uncomfortable sense of self-awareness washing over him.

“Before that, I only knew you as the guy I’d spent one amazing night with.”

He smiled at her words, but it quickly faded. “So you not telling me had nothing to do with me being,” He pursed his lips and swallowed in the same uncertain way she had not a few minutes before. “A privileged trust fund baby?”

Katniss winced silently as he mumbled her own words back to her. “I promise it didn’t.”

Dropping the paper onto the table, Peeta met her nervous look. He watched her intently for several seconds before offering what he hoped was a reassuring smile. “Okay.”

\-----

Rye scoffed as Peeta recalled his talk with Katniss from earlier in the day.

“Okay? You said okay?!” His laughed loudly, smoke from the bong they were sharing billowing out of his mouth.

Groaning, Peeta turned onto his side and kicked out blindly at his brother. They were sprawled out on the enormous couch in what had been considered ‘their’ rec room since they were toddlers. “What the hell else was I supposed to say?” He shifted his head so he could peek open one eye and glance incredulously at Rye. “‘I’m sorry, but I don’t believe you?’” He didn’t think it was a good idea to mention that his attraction to her had been one of the things to easily sway him.

“Yes!” Rye shoved Peeta’s foot off of him. “Who the hell in this city doesn’t _know_ who _we_ are? You can’t turn on the tv or open any website without seeing our faces!”

Peeta snorted and buried his face back in the couch cushion. “Could you _try_ and sound a little more conceited, Rye?” He mumbled into the soft fabric. He lifted his head up and gave his brother a look of faux-innocence. “I don’t think you’re laying it on thick enough!”

“I don’t know, Peet.”

Peeta turned his attention to the copper-haired athlete stretched out on the floor. Finnick Odair had been a regular presence in the Mellark household ever since he and Rye had both gotten kicked out of their first boarding school together. Where there was one of the two younger Mellark sons getting into some kind of trouble, it was certain Odair wasn’t too far behind them.

Propping himself up on his elbow, Finnick gave Peeta as significant a look as he could muster through his half-lidded eyes. “It does sound a bit strange that your Leia doesn’t know dick about you.”

“Well, she obviously knows his dick, Odair. They spawned life.” Rye practically giggled. Peeta chucked a pillow in his general direction.

“My _point_ ,” Finnick said loudly, though it was clear he was trying his best not to crack over Rye’s crude joke. “Is that your face is pretty much plastered all over this city. _You_ ,” He pointed at Peeta. “Are the Mellark poster boy, the hottest commodity in local advertising.” He smirked, brushing his hand over his chest. “Excluding myself, of course.”

Peeta rolled his eyes and turned onto his back once again. He tucked his arms behind his head. “The humility from you two staggers me.”

“My _point_ is,” Peeta grinned as Finnick unknowingly repeated himself. “Do you honestly believe this chick when she says she didn’t know?”

Staring up at the ceiling, Peeta considered Finnick's words. Did he believe Katniss? Her story _did_ seem a bit weird. At the very least, he'd have thought she would have seen his face on some advertisement in recent years, like Finnick had said. But then again, maybe he needed to take a lesson in humility as much as Rye and Finnick did. Because Katniss _had_ seemed sincere when she told him she simply didn't know. And deep down, he'd felt the truth in it. Somehow, he just knew he could trust it. Could trust her, with her soft black hair and shy smile. There was a fluttering in his stomach as he recalled how ethereal she’d looked when he’d walked her out into the afternoon sunshine.

"Yes, I do." He looked at Finnick as he finally answered.

Finnick's eyes widened for a second, a look of disbelief flashing across his face. "Oh." He frowned ponderously. "Okay."

Rye slapped a hand against the couch and then held it out in Finnick's direction. "Now _you're_ saying 'okay'?"

Shrugging, Finnick collapsed back down to the floor. He mimicked Peeta's arms behind the head position.

"And why are you _not_ saying 'okay'?" Peeta scowled at his brother, pushing himself up onto his elbows. It bothered him that Rye was questioning this. Questioning him. Because it made Peeta wonder if maybe he should be questioning himself.

With a sigh, Rye set the bong aside and turned towards Peeta. "This woman shows up out of nowhere, claiming this kid is yours."

"I _know_ she's mine." Peeta muttered, feeling inexplicably defensive for a child he hadn't seen for more than a couple minutes. And for her mother.

"Yeah, okay. That part is likely true," Rye ignored the displeased face Peeta made at 'likely'. "But this ‘she's never seen you before’ business?” He air quoted, the lighter he’d been using still grasped in one of his hands. “Sounds fishy. And as much as I hate sounding like mom,"

Peeta groaned and dropped his head back, squeezing his eyes shut. "Please don't." He warned on a pitiful whine.

"You gotta question her motive _and_ her timing."

Collapsing back down, Peeta covered his ears. "Not listening to you anymore."

A smack to his shin was Rye's reply. Peeta sighed loudly and dropped his hands from his ears. He sat up completely and dropped his arms into his lap, leaning back against the couch's arm and glaring petulantly at his brother.

"She didn't even let you see the kid today, Peet."

"Would you stop saying 'kid'?" Peeta sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. He was starting to have a hard time focusing. "Her name is Aurora. And I already told you, _both_ Katniss and I decided that it was better that we talk before I meet her for real." He removed his hand from his nose and waved it around absently. "To help save some of the confusion.”

Rye grinned and shook his head. “You don’t look any less confused to me, little brother.”

Peeta made a face and help up his middle finger. It only made Rye laugh and pat him on the leg again. Peeta kicked out at him but Rye jumped up from the couch.

“Where are you going?” Peeta mumbled, squinting one eye closed as Rye started sauntering out of the room. “Did we end this conversation?”

“No, but I’m fucking starving.” Rye laughed again. “I’m gonna go raid one of the fridges.”

Peeta frowned disapprovingly. “Don’t you have that dinner thing with mom tonight?”

Rye continued to walk out of the room.

“The fundraiser!” Peeta called after him loudly. He sighed in defeat, shaking his head, when his brother just waved him off from down the hall. He turned his attention back towards the couch, leaning forward to grab the bong and lighter Rye had left sitting in between them before he’d wandered out. Shifting so he was facing forward, Peeta settled the thing into his lap. He flicked the lighter to life, bringing it down towards the device in a well-practiced move. As Peeta went through the usual motions of pulling the smoke into his lungs, Finnick raised up from the floor and carried himself over the couch.

“So, how are you?” He asked Peeta quietly after collapsing down next to him.

Peeta pulled his lips from the glass mouth, eyeing Finnick as he slowly released the smoke he’d been holding in. He coughed lightly. “High.” He said in a matter-of-fact tone.

Finnick rolled his eyes. “You know that’s not what I meant.” He took the bong from Peeta’s grasp, sitting forward and placing it on the table littered with the remnants of their afternoon recreational activities. When he sat back, he gave Peeta a sincere look. “How are you, really?”

Staring at the man who he considered his closest friend, outside his own brother, Peeta felt some of the cool facade he’d been parading around the house since the fateful banquet fade. He shook his head a little and shrugged one shoulder, twirling the lighter between his fingertips.

“I’m fucking terrified, Finn.” He whispered. He watched as the look on Finnick’s face morphed into something sympathetic. “I’ve spent seven years wondering if I messed up by not going back to her. I didn’t even get her name, and that’s haunted me. And _now_ she’s back, with _my daughter_.” Peeta let out a shaky breath. “How do you prepare for something like that?”

Finnick shook his head helplessly. “I don’t know, man.”

Laughing sharply, Peeta couldn’t stop himself from grinning. Partly because he was high. But also because ‘I don’t know’ was quickly becoming a daily motto for him. “Yeah, me either.”

**Author's Note:**

> I'm wrestlerpeeta on Tumblr if you'd like to look me up there.


End file.
